Chapter 24 She picked up her glass, took a sip of water to pacify her swirling emotions. “Don’t be too upset. You'll have a wife and kids in the future. They will be your closest people.” Aurelia said.
Arnold exhaled softly, “I's not easy to marry someone you truly love.” Aurelia agreed with this sentiment. For remarkable men, women who gain their affection were rare. Most of the time, the women were smitten while the men remained indifferent.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAs she was pondering, Arnold's voice rang out again, “Do you have someone you like?” “No.” Aurelia answered.
Aurelia pursed her lips. She wasn't one for unrequited love. If it was one-sided, she'd give up immediately, unwilling to torment herself.
A charming smile played on Arnold's lips, subtle yet intriguing, “Maybe you'll have someone soon.” At the earliest, she’d have to wait until her child was born and divorce Leopold. Aurelia responded with a light smile, steering the conversation back on track, “I'll make some design sketches according to your request. You can pick one you like later.” “Okay.” Arnold nodded.
Afterwards, Aurelia escorted him to the elevator, “I'll send the sketches to your email when they're done.” As the elevator door opened, she turned to leave and only to be stopped by Arnold. “Wait a moment, Aurelia.” He walked over and gently brushed her hair with his long fingers.
Her cheeks flushed, “What's wrong?” “Don’t move.” He removed a piece of lint from her hair.
She felt a bit embarrassed and scratched her head.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmShe had thought... Ah, what was she thinking! “Thank you.” Aurelia said.
Not far away, a pair of eyes had witnessed the entire scene. Leopold was instantly fuming and swiftly approached them, his eyes flashing with a sinister chill.
“Why are you here?” Leopold asked.
Arnold shrugged, “Aunts birthday is coming up. I'm planning to order a custom necklace for her.” With that, he gave Aurelia a slight smile, “We'll Keep in touch on WhatsApp.” He then stepped into the elevator.
Aurelia could tell they had a strained relationship; even their greetings were lukewarm. As she turned to leave, Leopold's gloomy voice echoed from behind, “Come to my office.” Great! Reluctantly, she turned around, drooping her head as she followed him. Once in the office, Leopold violently kicked the door shut. The image of what had just happened played on a loop in his mind, causing inexplicable irritation and anger. He grabbed a glass from his desk, gulping down a large mouthful of icy water to quell his wrath. “Did my warning slip your mind?” Aurelia swallowed hard. His unreasonable prohibition was one she had no intention of obeying. “Mr. Leopold, | was just doing my job. Don't you always advocate for separating personal matters from work?” 12 10:59 7 Chapter 24 His face darkened as if she'd shoved a bone down his throat, leaving him unable to swallow or spit it out. He spun around, abruptly trapping her against the wall, “Don’t get smart with me.” Aurelia mustered up her courage and locked eyes with him, “I wouldn't dare. I'm merely stating facts. Every high-end client of the company deserves politeness, no matter who they are, right?” The more she spoke, the angrier Leopold got. His chest was filled with anger. He was on the brink of bursting. He roughly grabbed her head, and his fingers were sinking into her thick hair. The mere thought of another man touching her set him on edge, so much so that he couldn't understand why. “If you can’t see the situation clearly, | can tell you. Arnold won't really like you. He's not being genuine.” Aurelia’s spine shivered as if she'd been shot.
What did he mean? Was she unworthy? Because she was a nobody, she wasn't even worthy of being liked? Her fists clenched. Not only did he shatter her dignity, he also ground it under a millstone, over and over.